GoodbyeSon
by Jo Huston
Summary: Soujiro says goodbye to ShiShiO before he leaves to become a Rurouni. But ShiShiO doesn't want to let him go. Please Review.


Goodbye...Son  
  
by Lucy de Pointe du Lac  
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Disclaimer: I do NOT own Rurouni Kenshin or any of it's characters including: ShiShiO, Soujiro, Yumi and Kenshin. If I did I woundn't be wasteing time by writing fanfiction for my own series. Please don't sue.  
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Authors Note: This takes place right after Yumi returns Soujiro's sword. Yes, I changed it a bit to suit the story, but I believe it fits. PLEASE excuse the OOC of ShiShiO and the mild Shouni-Ai. I wouldn't call it Yaoi since they don't really feel that way towards each other.  
  
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*ShiShiO POV*  
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Soujiro has left me.  
  
Why is it affecting me so?  
  
Yumi brought me his...well my, sword back to me just five minutes ago.  
  
I must say I was shocked, but I'm sure I didn't show it in front of Yumi.  
  
She looked a little surprised when I said that I wanted to be alone when she sat down next to me.  
  
"Alright...Shishio-sama..." she had answered hesitantly and skimpered from the room.   
  
And here I am. All alone. No Yumi snuggled up next to me. No Hoji, pacing in that annoying way of his, fretting about nothing. No...Soujiro, at my right side.  
  
This shouldn't affect me this much!   
  
Sure he was the second best fighter after me, but still, I have plenty more strong warriors to replace him.  
  
I winced at that.  
  
Replace?  
  
No.  
  
I gripped the sword in my hand squeezing it with all my might, until it snapped in two.  
  
In a small bout of rage I threw the two pieces across the room, causing them to hit the door with a loud bang.  
  
I sat there and fumed. Literally.  
  
Then suddely I heard a timid knock at the door.  
  
"I do not wish to be disturbed!" I roared through the door.  
  
Dispite my command, the door opened anyway.  
  
"I said-" I began, but stopped short when a saw a small face peek around the corner.  
  
"I guess Yumi-san told you about my soon departure, ShishiO-san?"  
  
I always loved the way he said my name. Not even Yumi could say it quite like that.  
  
But I kept my stern face and gestured for him to come in.  
  
Soujiro smiled (of course) and came in, vaguely looking at the two pieces of his former sword by the door. He walked up to me, just standing there watching me with that smile plastered on his face...but...It was different somehow...  
  
"I was going to leave immediatly but I decided to say goodbye to you personally."  
  
I growled, "I wont let you go."  
  
He looked a bit startled but then looked at me like he understood.  
  
"Please, ShiShiO-san, this is already perhaps the hardest decision I've ever had to make. Please...don't make it any harder."  
  
I looked up at him from my sitting position.   
  
This wasn't my Soujiro...couldn't be...could it?  
  
"What did he do to you?"  
  
Soujiro looked surprised.  
  
"You mean Himura-san? He just...opened my mind a bit."  
  
This was definitly not my Soujiro.   
  
I stood up and stepped closer to Soujiro, towering over him.  
  
He looked afraid.  
  
No...It can't be! He doesn't posess that emotion!  
  
"I won't allow it." I said in a low voice that could have turned the bravest man to ice.  
  
Soujiro took a deep breath but didn't move.  
  
"Gomen nasai, ShishiO-san, but...I must do this. I will become a Rurouni like Himura-san. Speaking of Himura-san...won't he be arriving soon?"  
  
"I told Yumi to take them to the training arena. It will take them an hour at the least to get there. Assuming you did SOME damage."  
  
Soujiro looked a little hurt, but still said, "Of course I did ShiShiO-san."  
  
I glared at him then turned my back, "But...you were defeated...therefore... you are weak. And you know what I taught you about the weak, Soujiro."  
  
Soujiro nodded and lowered his head, "Yes," he mummbed, "I know what YOU taught me."  
  
I spun around in rage and backhanded Soujiro in the jaw.   
  
His tiny mass went flying. He crashed into the wall with a thump and fell in a heap on the floor.  
  
He looked pitifull...and I wanted to run over to him and hold him, and tell him how sorry I was and how much I wanted...NEEDED him, to stay.  
  
How sweet.  
  
How clique.  
  
I didn't move.  
  
Soujiro slowly pushed himself back up to his feet.  
  
"I...I guess I will be going...ShiShiO-san..." he turned towards the door.  
  
"NO!" I shouted, "You are NOT leaving me!"  
  
Soujiro looked a bit shocked.   
  
I sighed and continued, "Soujiro, I want you to stay. Even though you were defeated by Battousai. I will train you even harder and together we can defeat him and my Kuni Tori will commence!"  
  
Soujiro looked at me with sad eyes, like he desperately wanted to take me up on my offer...but he shook his head.  
  
"I'm so sorry ShishiO-san."  
  
I sighed again and shook my head.  
  
"No...Soujiro...I'm sorry."  
  
Now, you must understand that this was the first time I had apologized to someone since...ever.   
  
Soujiro looked at me with wide eyes, "ShiShiO-san?"  
  
"I won't hold you back if you still want to go. You...you deserve a normal life. Not the life I've given you."  
  
I ended and turned again, sitting down on my pillow.  
  
Soujiro looked down, like he was thinking hard.  
  
He then started to walk slowly towards me, stopped a foot away and kneeled in front of me, placing his calloused hands on my hot shoulders.  
  
I stifened as he leaned forward and kissed my burning cheek.  
  
"Goodbye...my Father..."   
  
Suddenly all of my previous feeling for Soujiro made sense.  
  
He was my Son.  
  
And I loved him as a son, not as a pupil, brother or lover...a son. My Son.  
  
I reached up and touched his cheek, careful not to burn his perfect face.  
  
"Goodbye...my Son."  
  
I leaned forward and kissed his other cheek.   
  
Soujiro looked at me with so much love, I might have cried tears of flames.   
  
He stood and began to walk away from me.   
  
"Soujiro!" I called.  
  
He turned quickly around, "Yes, ShishiO-san?"  
  
"Take my knapsack. It's in my room. I want you to have it."  
  
Soujiro smiled and nodded, "Alright."  
  
He turned again and walk to the door.  
  
For a moment he raised my hopes by pausing, but then all hope was lost as he opened the door and left forever.  
  
Well, maybe not forever.  
  
When I defeat the Battousai, maybe I will find him in his wanderings.   
  
Yes, I must keep hope that I will see my beloved son again.  
  
But now I must go.  
  
The Battousai will be waiting.  
  
OWARI  



End file.
